edge of the precipice
by carzla
Summary: [One Shot - S08E23 Spoilers] ['as I fall' series] When the night began to rain stars, Dean knew that everything that could've gone wrong had. The stars were falling angels and the last time he'd seen one angel that had fallen, it was one of the most heartbreaking sights ever.


_**edge of the precipice**_

_Supernatural belongs to The CW Network. This story contains spoilers for the Season 8 finale, "Sacrifice"; feel free to hit the back button if you do not wish to be spoiled. I only own this idea. Thank you._

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**Full Summary:**

**[One Shot – Spoilers for S08E23 | part one of 'as I fall' series] When the night sky began to rain stars, Dean knew that everything that could've gone wrong had gone wrong. Because the stars weren't stars, but angels falling from Heaven and the last time he'd seen an angel – one particular angel – that had fallen, it was one of the most heartbreaking sights he'd ever encountered.**

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Dean Winchester knew not to expect too many good things to happen to him. Having miraculously lived as long as he had, he knew that nothing good in life – even if it were just in a relative way – lasted for long. In a hunter's life and especially _his_ life, everything that could go wrong had a very, very high chance of really going wrong.

When the night sky began to rain stars, Dean knew that, once again, he had been proven absolutely right.

Because those weren't stars or comets or anything else that could've caused what appeared to be a magnificent meteor rain. They were angels. They were angels falling from Heaven and Naomi, conniving bitch that she'd been, was _right_ and Metatron was yet _another _dick-angel that they shouldn't have trusted and shit.

"No, Cas."

The last time Dean had encountered a fallen angel, had encountered _Castiel_ as a fallen angel, it was in that dark alternate 2014 timeline that Zachariah had shoved him into. And that Castiel was… was broken in ways that the Cas from this time hadn't ever been. Not even after absorbing Sam's Hell insanity and losing his own mind in the process.

They were only midway through 2013, and although the Apocalypse had been adverted, it seemed that the approaching 2014 was still not going to be a good year. Because Heaven was full of dick-angels… Until now, it seemed. And Dean was still haunted by the too-clear, too-vivid memories that was Cas in that other universe.

Human, and hurting behind that uncharacteristically easy smile and still so, _so _willing to follow the other Dean on a suicide run towards Lucifer with no questions asked.

That Castiel had been fully cognizant and he had chosen to drown himself in a myriad of sex, drugs and alcohol to numb himself. Dean was now chillingly reminded that the first thing his own Cas did after finding out that _God_ _did not care_ was to go on a bender. And as Sam had informed him at the time, Cas had drunk an entire liquor store's worth of alcohol and probably would've continued on towards finding another store to drink dry had the angel not gotten Sam's message. At the time, Cas wasn't Fallen yet. He had been losing his powers, falling slowly, that much was true. But he still had enough angel mojo in him to be not completely mortal.

If not-fully-human Cas had already showed the start of parallels towards that fallen, human Cas… then if Cas were truly human now…

No. No, he couldn't let his Cas go the way of that broken Cas who didn't have anyone truly caring for him anymore, because the Dean from that timeline had been too damaged himself to have it in him to take care of Cas anymore. He couldn't bear the thought of one day coming face-to-face yet again with such a disillusioned, slowly withering away Castiel.

He felt Sam jerk beside him as a wingless angel landed harshly in the lake before them. Then, there was a question from his brother's lips, "What's happening?"

"Angels," he said, throat uncomfortably dry and still not quite able to look away from the sky. "…they're falling."

Sam made a noise that was a choked gasp of shock and maybe a question of "how?" or "why?" but dissolved into a coughing fit instead, and Dean was spurred into action again. He tore his eyes away from the horrifyingly mesmerizing spectacle in the sky, manoeuvring so that he could open the Impala's backseat door and depositing Sam inside. He couldn't do anything about the falling angels right now, but he could certainly get Sammy to somewhere safe.

When he got into the driver's seat, ready to take off at top speed for the bunker, Sam had gotten his coughing under control and instead asked weakly, "Cas?"

"I don't know. But I'll find him."

Yes, he would find Castiel. No matter what state Cas was in, Dean would find him. If Cas were human now, then Dean would make sure, make _damn sure_ that Cas wasn't going to end up the way his alternate self had.

That version of Castiel was never going to exist again if Dean Winchester had anything to say about it. And he had plenty to say.

_I'm going to find you, Cas, and we're all going to be okay._

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**So I am utterly new to _Supernatural _and the season 8 finale (as well as marathoning most of the latter half of the season, starting with "Goodbye Stranger", in a day) just wrangled all these feels out of me and it became my first fanfic... and a mini-series of SPN fanfic. Well. Such is the power of my Destiel feels, me thinks.**

**Hope you've enjoyed this!**

_**carzla**_


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